


Is This Even Real

by PrincessLocket



Category: Inazuma Eleven, Inazuma Eleven: Orion no Kokuin
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hanahaki Disease, M/M, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Self-Indulgent
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:41:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24490705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessLocket/pseuds/PrincessLocket
Summary: An incident leads to Nosaka proposing a fake relationship between him and Ichihoshi. The midfielder agrees and for just one day, everything feels perfect!If only the hanahaki disease didn't have to come and interrupt Ichihoshi's happy pining.
Relationships: Ichihoshi Hikaru/Nosaka Yuuma
Kudos: 34





	Is This Even Real

**Author's Note:**

> Hi and thank you for clicking on this fanfic! I've been meaning to write this for months now, but due to homework and such, I hadn't been able to... But lookie! It's finally here~   
> I hope you all enjoy this

He could feel something was off the moment he stepped back into the classroom. It was strange- It was an odd feeling he couldn’t quite place. He wasn’t doing anything wrong by being there. He had just forgotten his phone and had returned to retrieve it, nothing more, nothing less.

So then why was he feeling as though something bad was going to happen?

Ichihoshi shook his head as he made his way to his desk, nothing was going to happen, he was just going to get his phone and hurry back to where Nosaka and Nishikage were waiting for him. However, when he came up to his desk, nothing appeared to be laying on it. It was as bare as all the other desks in the classroom were. Okay, this may have been what that strange feeling had been implying? 

Maybe his phone had fallen off to the side? Yeah, that had to be it! There was no need to start panicking, at least not yet.

He ducked his head under the desk to take a look around. But alas, his phone was nowhere in sight. It definitely wasn’t anywhere around his desk and when he angled himself to look at floor around the desks closest to his, nothing came up.

This was weird. He was almost certain he had left his phone here. It certainly hadn’t been in his backpack; Nosaka and Nishikage had double-checked it with him just moments prior and it definitely wasn’t in his pockets… Yeah, he rummaged through them once more just make sure. So, it had to be in the classroom somewhere. This was the last place he could remember using it before heading out…

A knock at the door startled him. He quickly stood back up, turning to greet whoever was about to enter. To his surprise it was a small group of his classmates that entered through the sliding door. The leader of the group, a boy with sharply pointed hair, Jin, Ichihoshi thinks as he recalls his classmates name, made his way over to were Ichihoshi’s standing while the remainder of the group stood just a little way in front of the doorway.

“Good evening Ichihoshi.” Jin began, smiling a crooked smile. His hands rested in his pockets as he slumped against the window in front of Ichihoshi’s desk. “What are you doing here so late? Shouldn’t you be heading to your precious soccer club right about now? Or did you forget something and have to come back to get it?”

Ichihoshi couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping when Jin suddenly pulled out an oddly familiar-looking phone from his pocket. The way Jin’s smile formed into a smirk as he set the phone on the desk didn’t escape Ichihoshi.

Ichihoshi glanced a look at his phone and then back his classmate before deciding it was okay to grab for his phone. But just as he reached his arm forward, Jin yanked the phone back. Ichihoshi shot him a glare, only to receive a chorus of laughs from the door, where an even larger group of students were suddenly forming. The glint of someone’s phone caught Ichihoshi’s eye and it was at that moment where he realized this was going to be recorded.

“What do you want from me?” Ichihoshi protests, eyes snapping back to Jin. A few taunts were thrown from the gathered students and as much as Ichihoshi wanted to look back at the crowd, he forced his eyes to stay on the guy in front of him.

“Nothing in particular. But there may be something, something small-“Jin smirked, huffing a laugh as he rounded the desk until he was standing in front of Ichihoshi. “-It’s just that some people think that you’ve been acting a little too… arrogant lately… and I thought it would be best if I helped teach you a lesson.” Jin shrugged before he raised fist. And just as Ichihoshi moved to take a defensive stance, a loud squeak of someone’s shoe pulled everyone’s attention towards the doorway.

Standing in the now parted center of the doorway was none other than Nosaka.

Nosaka sighed as he took a step forward. The crowd behind him closing the gap they had made for the male as they watched the tactician completely enter the room.

“I believe you have something that doesn’t belong to you.” Nosaka smiled, regarded the phone in Jin’s hand as he moved to stand at Ichihoshi’s side. “Would you kindly return it?”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” Jin scowled. “Listen, I don’t know who do you think you are, but can’t you see we’re in the middle of something here? If he wants his phone back so badly he’s going to have to fight me for it.” Just like that, Jin raised his fist again and before Ichihoshi could react, Nosaka stepped in, catching Jin’s wrist just as the male tried to swing it forward.

“What the- Let go! What are you, his bodyguard, or something?!”

Nosaka glanced a look back at Ichihoshi. For a moment he just stared at the other, taking in the midfielders posture. Ichihoshi, who was usually so calm and cheerful, was now shaking and staring back at him wide eyes. Those same eyes that were normally filled with so much warmth, were now filling with unshed tears as they watched Nosaka give him a small smile.

“Actually. I’m his boyfriend.” Nosaka answered, turning back to meet Jin's eyes. And just like that Jin dropped the phone. The phone clattered to the ground with a noise similar to one of which was breaking. Ichihoshi gasped as he rushed forward to pick it up, ignoring the way several eyes trailed after him. “Not only that, but I happen to be the student council president. So, I would advise you to not start needless fights such as this one.”

A moment passes. No one moves, no one except for Ichihoshi, who only pulls back to stand at Nosaka’s side. There’s an undeniable blush formed high on his cheeks, as he looks to Nosaka and then back to his phone.

“Whatever!” Jin hisses through gritted teeth. His eyes shift to Ichihoshi and when their eyes meet, Jin turns on his heels. “You’re lucky your boyfriend was here to save you. But, next time’s going to be different.” The crowd of student’s part for Jin to exit and slowly, the students begin to leave as well, until there’s no one left in the room but Nosaka and Ichihoshi, who hadn’t moved from where they had originally been standing.

Ichihoshi lets out a sigh that he had been holding in before slowly glancing a look at his phone.

“Is it broken?” The concern in Nosaka’s voice is just enough to get Ichihoshi to look back up at him.

“I don’t think so?” Again, Ichihoshi looks down at his phone. He turns it towards several different angels, checking for cracks, or any kind of damage, before shaking his head. The smile he receives from Nosaka nearly makes him drop his phone.

“That’s good…I’m glad I found you on time though.”

Ichihoshi hums in agreement, shoving his phone into his pocket. “Thank you for that! Now, let’s hurry! Nishikage is probably waiting for us, right? I mean I did kind of runoff on you both-“When Ichihoshi starts to move towards the door, a hand reaches out, grabbing hold of his wrist in a gentle grip. “-Nosaka?”

“What I said, back there… It didn’t make you uncomfortable, did it?” Nosaka asks softly.

“Huh?!” Ichihoshi blinks, cheeks turning a rosy shade of red that Nosaka can’t help but chuckle at.

“Were you uncomfortable with me saying we’re dating?”

“Not at all!” Ichihoshi breaths. His eyes quickly dart to the floor when he feels even more heat rising to his cheeks. “I’m just sorry you had to say that so suddenly.”

Nosaka slowly loosens his grip on Ichihoshi’s wrist, almost as if he’s doing it reluctantly. It’s enough to get Ichihoshi to look at him once again. And when their eyes meet, Nosaka takes Ichihoshi’s hand into his own, intertwining their fingers together.

“There’s no need to apologize. However, now that it’s been recorded and most likely being posted as we speak, why don’t we play our new roles until everything blows over.”

It takes a moment for those words to digest, but when they finally do, the blush on Ichihoshi’s face deepens so much, Nosaka swears Ichihoshi’s going to pass out. But when extends his free hand out, Ichihoshi shakes his head. A wobbly smile suddenly appears on the midfielders face as he keeps his eyes trained on the floor.

“I- I uh… I mean if- wait!” Ichihoshi finds himself stammering. He can feel Nosaka’s eyes on him and even though he really wants to curl a ball and hide, he does his best to stand as still as possible. His mind is screaming at him. He should be declining their “new roles,” – it would all be fake, if only for a few days, but still fake none the less. He should be saying no without any sort of hesitation because faking a relationship wasn’t something he wanted to do. After all, he’d been in love with Nosaka for several years now, and even if their relationship was going to be fake, even if it meant granting him a short amount of happiness, it would all end with him crying once they “broke up.” And if he ended up crying over a breakup with Nosaka, he would rather it be from a real relationship they were both committed to, not a fake one where he'd have to act like everything was okay with the days that would follow.

Ichihoshi stiffens when he feels a thumb begin to rub little circles against his hand. His eyes glance to their hands and the way his heart skips a beat nearly makes him pull his hand back. He really should really say no, guarding his heart should be his number one priority in a situation such as this one, but… If it would help keep Jin and the others away, then maybe he could try this fake relationship out?

“I- I guess we could do that…”

The smile that crosses Nosaka’s lips causes Ichihoshi to smile back.

“Great! Now then, how would you like to go about doing this?”

The question catches Ichihoshi off guard. He pulls his hand back, finding it slightly sweaty, and hurriedly tries to wipe it against his pants leg in a not so subtle manner. Nosaka simply shrugs and turns his attention to the window. The room falls silent and just as Ichihoshi is about to speak, Nosaka connects their hands again. The way their fingers lace together has Ichihoshi gaping. Even though Nosaka was looking at something outside, he had managed to locate and hold Ichihoshi’s hand. In a way, it was nice to know Nosaka was capable of doing something like that.

“If we’re going to do this, I want to make sure you’re comfortable with everything we’re going to be doing.”

All Ichihoshi could do was nod, not trusting his voice enough to say anything yet. The pounding of his heart was beating wildly like a drum behind his ribs and for a second, he wondered if Nosaka could feel the strong pulse through their joined hands.

“So, what would you like to do? If it helps, we could start just by hold hands and when you’re feeling up to it, we could slowly ease our way into… other things.” A small smile stretches over Nosaka’s lips as he looks to Ichihoshi. “How does that sound?”

“I guess that’s alright, but if it’s okay with you,” he pauses to look around before his eyes return to Nosaka, “I wouldn’t mind starting with a little more than just holding hands… You know, like, maybe if we…” Again, Ichihoshi looks away, searching for the right words. He’s never had much experience in the love department, or social department really, but he knows enough about relationship to know just exactly what real couples do. He’s seen a couple or two holding each other close in the hallways before, he’s seen them share food, jackets, homework, and so on before. So maybe, if they acted like the couples he’s seen, then maybe it would make this fake relationship appear more believable to the outside world. Or at least, that’s what he’s hoping for. “Actually, if you don't mind, could we try doing the kind of stuff real couples do? Just uh, to make it- to help us, no wait- “

“-To make it look more believable.” Nosaka finishes for him. The smile he gives Ichihoshi is genuine, unlike the tease Ichihoshi was expecting.

“Yeah.”

Nosaka nods, looking away for a moment before returning his gaze to sky blue eyes. “Alright, but if it any time you feel uncomfortable, let me know and I’ll stop. Even if this,” he swings their joined hands a little to demonstrate his point, “is too much, just say the word.”

“Right.” Ichihoshi takes a step back and moves to turn towards the door, pulling Nosaka along with him. They don’t move too quickly, nor do they move too slow. They simply walk at a neutral pace, glancing a look at one another when they take a step out of the door. Surprisingly, there aren’t any people in the hallway, most likely having left the school in order to retire to their dorms. This causes Ichihoshi to let out a small sigh of relief. If nobody was around then that meant nobody had listened in on their conversation. Not to mention, it would mean he had a few more moments to get used to publicly holding Nosaka’s hand without having a dozen of eyes staring at him.

As the two advanced down the hallway, the silhouette of the locker rooms slowly started to come into the light. Which meant they would be officially announcing their relationship in the next few moments…

Just as Ichihoshi began to slow his pace, he felt the gentle squeeze of Nosaka’s hand around his own and that’s when it hit him. He wasn’t doing this alone. Nosaka was going to be in the same boat as he was. They had each other and no matter how the team was going to take to their relationship, he at least had someone on his side at the end of the day.

He squeezed Nosaka’s hand back before he readjusted his focus onto the locker room doors. Yeah, everything was going to be fine.

* * *

“That went better than expected,” Nosaka comments when he relinks his fingers with Ichihoshi’s. The gesture catches the midfielder off guard and he nearly yanks his own hand away before realizing who it is. The blush that forms over his cheeks makes Nosaka laugh as he guides the two of them back to their dorm room.

Yeah, everything had turned out way better than they had initially expected. Even though he wouldn’t outright say it, Ichihoshi had already accepted a bad outcome from the team. He was prepared for judgment or even harassment when he had walked through those doors. Deep down he didn’t think he would ever truly be good enough to be with someone as charming and tactical as Nosaka, but to his surprise, everyone had been routing for him?! Okuno, one of the first friends he had become friends with, had given them his condolences, complementing Ichihoshi with a pat on the back, saying “it’s about time.” Ichihoshi had simply laughed, shuffling closer to Nosaka.

When he looked over to the tactician, he found his own smile faltering.

Nishikage and Nosaka were whispering about something. If he was correct, Nosaka was probably telling him about their plan, or at least Ichihoshi hoped he was right, but by the looks of it, that may not have been the case. One second they were whispering and the next second Nishikage was pulling out his phone to show Nosaka something. It was strange? He didn’t look phased with whatever he and Nosaka had been discussing, so maybe they were just talking normally? Or maybe they were discussing his and Nosaka's fake relationship but where being discrete about it?

Whatever the case was, it was forgotten a minute later when Tanizaki started demanding money from several of their teammates. From the sound of it, he and the others had been betting on Ichihoshi and Nosaka’s relationship for several weeks now. Well, that was embarrassing. Did everyone know just how bad Ichihoshi had it for Nosaka?

In a way, Ichihoshi was pleased with all the positive feedback. It was refreshing and took some of the anxious weight off of his shoulders.

He could get used to this. In fact, he wanted this to be an everyday thing, not something that was only temporary. If his teammates knew this was all an act, would they have said the things they said? Or would they have kept their mouths shut until something real actually transpired between the two?But, whatever, he could think about the what if’s later. Right now, he felt like he was floating on cloud nine. Nosaka was holding his hand again. And wow, he hadn’t noticed this before but, Nosaka’s hands were gentle where they wrapped around his. They were slightly calloused, but oh so kind. In a way, they were different from his own, which were rough, and bruised from the countless hours of practicing he had been putting into extra training for the past couple of months.

He had to get better, grow much stronger, or else, risk getting left behind. If he wanted to continue playing soccer with Nosaka and the rest of his teammates, he would continue to practice even if it meant doing so during his resting hours.

“Everything okay?” Nosaka stares at him with concern filling his eyes. When Ichihoshi gives him a tilt of the head, Nosaka smiles gently. “You're squeezing my hand a little too tight.”

“Sorry!” Ichihoshi exclaims, immediately loosening his grip until it’s gone slack in Nosaka’s hand. “I was just thinking…” he really shouldn’t ask. It’s not his place to be asking these kinds of questions when they’re not even dating and yet- “What were you and Nishikage talking about?”

Nosaka blinks. Suddenly, his grip on Ichihoshi’s hand is tightening and before the midfielder could say anything, he’s being pulled in close. Ichihoshi falls against Nosaka’s chest with a thud, gasping at the way arms suddenly wrap around him. He’s barely even registered what’s going on when he’s all but suddenly maneuvered to Nosaka’s left side. He tries not to look too disappointed when the arms around him leave.

“Wha- What was that?” The confusion must be clear on his face because all Nosaka does is tilt his head backward with a laugh. The ringing of several different bells chimes in the wind not too far off from where the two of them are walking. It’s at that moment where Ichihoshi takes notice of several students riding around the sidewalk with their bicycles.

“They were getting too close so I moved you.” Nosaka says, shrugging as if it were no big deal.

But it was a big deal, a very big deal! At least, to Ichihoshi, it was!

Nosaka had never done anything like- like that! Sure, Nosaka may have placed a guiding hand on his back from time to time, but to suddenly maneuver him out the way like that was entirely new. It wasn’t like it was unwelcomed, they had agreed to be a little showier with their relationship in public, but still. Ichihoshi wasn’t mentally prepared for the consequence of his words from earlier. His heart was pounding hard against his chest and he could swear the heat on his cheeks was making him look almost as red as the setting sun above them.

“So, you want to know what Nishikage and I were talking about?” Nosaka’s voice interrupts Ichihoshi’s thoughts, startling him into tripping over his own two feet and just barely managing to escape falling forward thanks to Nosaka’s quick thinking, by pulling him back the moment Ichihoshi started tipping forward.

Ichihoshi breathes a small sigh before shrinking into himself with an ever-growing blush blossoming high on his cheeks. “No, no! It’s alright! I don’t know why I even asked if I’m being honest.”

They continue to walk in a peaceful silence after that. Nosaka taking the hint to let Ichihoshi calm down. When they finally arrive at the student dorms, Nosaka moves closer to Ichihoshi until they were pressed together at their shoulders. It’s a little awkward at first when a couple of students look to them with confusion, but by the time they’ve made it to the elevator, nobody’s even giving them a second glance.

It kind of makes Ichihoshi wonder if anyone really knew about what had happened in the classroom earlier that day. So far, everyone they’ve come by has either paid them no mind or had given them confused looks. There was the exception of the soccer team though! Now those reactions were something to have been expected, not this. And even then, no one on the team had brought up the classroom incident once! Maybe it hadn’t been recorded and posted as Ichihoshi thought. So, if that was the case, what would this fake relationship mean?

They had agreed to keep this act up until the recording of Nosaka’s declaration blew over, but if there was no video evidence being viewed online, then would Nosaka still want to keep up this little ac of theirs or would he put a stop to it as soon as he found out? Whatever the result was going to be, it was starting to make Ichihoshi feel sick. This whole thing was too much for his heart to handle.

When the elevator opened up to reveal the hallway to their dorm room, Nosaka was the first to move. He took long and fast steps, dragging a wide-eyed Ichihoshi behind him.

Oh no! Nosaka knew. He was going to “break up” with him in just a matter of seconds!

This was it. This was probably why Nosaka had grown so quiet on their way back to the dorms. When he and Nishikage were talking it probably because he had been asking the latter to search for their video and when nothing came up, that’s when he decided to end things! It all made sense now! That’s why he hadn’t answered Ichihoshi’s question- even though Ichihoshi had said it was fine not to answer-

Man, Ichihoshi wasn’t ready for this! They had only just started this relationship and it was already crumbling before they could even try to make it work.

Ichihoshi could already feel the tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. But he had to keep them in for as long as he could. He would allow himself time to cry later in the comfort of his shower where he could wallow in his own self-pity until the water turned to ice against his skin. If he could just wait until then, he’d be okay. To cry right now, in front of Nosaka, would be admitting defeat way too soon. So, he would his tears away for now and put on the biggest smile he could muster when Nosaka would ultimately end their fake relationship.

The clicking of a door catches Ichihoshi’s attention and he slowly comes to realize how the door being opened was actually their shared room. And then, he’s being pulled forward again until he’s being maneuvered into sitting on a chair on Nosaka’s side of the room.

Nosaka drops Ichihoshi’s hand in favor of grabbing a plastic bag that’s sitting on his bed. He then takes out a plate with watermelon slices and places it right in front of Ichihoshi. The smile Nosaka’s sporting is one Ichihoshi has only ever seen on a few occasions. It’s big and wide and oh so sweet, it makes Ichihoshi smile just as brightly back.

“I asked Nishikage to get this for us when we were talking in the locker room,” Nosaka says as he starts to unwrap the watermelon slices. Gray eyes practically sparkling as he takes a bite into one of the slices the moment it's out of the wrapping. “Sorry,” he pauses to swallow, “sorry for keeping it a secret. I just thought it’d be nice a surprise.”

Ichihoshi feels his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. Guess I was getting worked up over nothing.

“It’s also my way of saying thank you.”

Ichihoshi watches Nosaka continues to eat the watermelon slices with a fond expression before picking a slice of his own.

The two end up finishing off the slices of watermelon not too long after they’ve devouring their first slices. There are a few water droplets sprinkled here and there, but other than that, they’re pretty much clean. Still, Nosaka wipes the table clean with a wet napkin in his right hand and a dry napkin in his left hand. He gives the table a once over before throwing both napkins away and turning his attention back to Ichihoshi.

“If you’d like, you can shower first. I’ve got a few errands to run so I’ll be heading out for a little while.”

“Okay! Uh, thank you for… for the watermelon!” Ichihoshi squeaks out when Nosaka takes a step towards him. A hand is placed in blue hair, ruffling the top of his head.

“No problem. I’ll see you later then.”

And with that, Nosaka takes his leave. It takes all of Ichihoshi’s strength not to go tumbling to the floor once the door to their room closes. It takes even more strength for him to not burst out into a blushing, dancing mess.

Ichihoshi was beyond ecstatic. Nosaka hadn’t been planning on ending their relationship at all! Which meant, he had been worried over nothing! Thank goodness! Waiting to cry in the shower for the bad news he had been expecting, wasn’t something he had been looking forward to. But now that he knew where they stood with this whole plan, lifted a weight off of his shoulders.

Everything was going to be just fine. He had nothing to worry about. They would continue to have this fake relationship and maybe, just maybe, he would work up the nerve to tell Nosaka how he really felt before they would inevitably “break up.”

Yeah, he was going to be okay.

But then, a wave of nausea hit him. His insides felt like they churning and he quickly curled in on himself. His legs started to wobble and before he could even think to take a step, his knees were already hitting the floor. Suddenly, his heart was pounding at a furious pace and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to get his breathing to regulate. It felt like his chest was filled with cotton-like if he tried to take another breath, more cotton would pile up. But when he placed a hand over his chest, it was as if a switch had been flipped, he could breathe again.

“What was…” He started, only to trail off as a cough tried to break through his throat.

He gripped his shirt as he broke out into a violent coughing fit. His throat felt like it was on fire with the force he put into his coughs. Everything hurt, his lungs, his head, his legs, everything! It was enough to make him squeeze his eyes shut tight until white and black dots were swimming around in his vision. And just as he was about to accept defeat, the coughing stopped.

He blinked away the tears from eyes, taking shaky breaths as he did so, and then proceeded to wipe at the trail of tears on his face with the end of his t-shirt. As he cleaned his face he tried to focus on his breathing. In and out, in and out, slow and steady.

When he felt he had his breathing under control, he pulled back, sighing to himself, before he looked down to his tear-stained shirt.

Ichihoshi’s jaw dropped. His eyes shakily darting from his shirt and floor, where several floor petals have suddenly appeared.

He reaches a hand to grab at one of the petals from the floor. It feels real, too real, between his fingers. It’s wet with saliva and Ichihoshi finds himself scooting back. This couldn’t be happening, it had to be a dream. There was no way he had just coughed up flower petals! This had to have been some kind of sick joke! Yeah, that was it! Someone was playing a prank on him. Or maybe these had been here earlier? No, it had to be a prank. But, how? Nobody other than Nosaka had been in the room or had been close enough to place flower petals on his shirt without either of them noticing, so…

What if Nosaka had discreetly put them on him when he was leaving? No, Ichihoshi would’ve noticed. And besides, Nosaka wouldn’t do something like this, right?

Ichihoshi groaned as he tried to come up with logical answers to the flower petals, but everything he came up with just didn’t make sense. There was no way was going to figure out where the petals came from without Nosaka’s help.

Wait a minute! He couldn’t ask Nosaka for help on this! They were close and all, but how would Nosaka react if he told him, “I think I just coughed up some flowers but I don’t know if they really did come of me. Do you think you can help me figure out where they really came from?” Nosaka would think he was crazy! That or he’d insist they go see a doctor and going to the doctors was not something Ichihoshi was the last thing he wanted to do. Seeing a doctor meant he would most likely be suspended from the team if they found out he was coughing up flower petals during his alone time.

Okay, telling Nosaka was definitely out of the question, and asking Nishikage or any of his teammates was also off the table. So that left him with one other option… Asking the internet!

Truth be told, Ichihoshi loathed web diagnosing his problems. Whenever he did so in the past, he would spend weeks feeling anxious about what he may or may not have. But he had long since matured and had grown to take the internet with a grain of salt, so as long as he kept a level head, he should be fine!

Ichihoshi reluctantly pulled out his phone and quickly got to typing in some keywords of what he had just experienced before pressing on the search option. He took a deep breath as the first results began to load onto the screen.

He could do this. He was going to be just fine. He was not going to let these results go to his head.

Unfortunately, the results did in fact go to his head. Every single result that had loaded onto the screen read the exact same words over and over again!

Hanahaki Disease. Hanahaki Disease. Hanahaki Disease.

Apparently, it was a disease that affected those with unrequited love. It was the kind of disease that developed over months or years and began with coughing up flower petals. As time passed, the intensity of the pain that was associated with coughing up flower petals would grow until either the feelings were returned or if the recipient underwent surgery…

Whatever Ichihoshi was hoping to find in those search results, it definitely wasn’t this!

* * *

The next few days following Ichihoshi and Nosaka’s relationship passed by without any real incident. The two of them went about their lives as normally as they had done before. Walking together to their classes, exchanging texts here and there, training at soccer practice, and so on. The only difference now was the added mix of hand-holding, sharing of lunches, short hugs, and the occasional stares down the hallways. Not every stare was bad though, some were soft and kind, filled with adoration for the two, while others were those of confusion. Sometimes the stares were blank, void of any emotion, and somehow, those were the ones that got to Ichihoshi. They weren’t rude or anything, but they still made him feel uncomfortable, nonetheless. Nosaka, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be phased by the stares at all. He would simply walk and talk without a care in the world. It helped to ease Ichihoshi’s nerves to an extent, drawing his attention to whatever it was the tactician would be talking about if only for a moment, though there was still a part of Ichihoshi that remained nervous and unfocused throughout their time together and it was the hanahaki disease's fault.

Ever since that night, Ichihoshi had been on edge. The brief experience of coughing up those flower petals still lingered on his mind. He had gotten rid of the flowers as fast and discreetly as he could, gathering all the petals into rolled-up napkins and then crushing them into several different wadded up pieces of paper. He had then tossed said papers into his own little trash can and piled several other napkins on top of them to make things look less conspicuous.

Since then, he hadn’t coughed up a single petal. He should be happy, right? His self-diagnosis just had to be wrong! He didn’t really have the hanahaki disease; it must’ve all been in his head. Even after the little episode of coughing up flower petals, Ichihoshi had done some more research on the disease. According to the articles he found, if he really did have the disease, he would’ve been coughing out more petals by now, but he hadn’t. His days were as pretty normal as they could be…

…Until they weren’t. It happened two weeks later during a late evening practice. Ichihoshi barely had time to make up an excuse to leave when he felt the sudden rise of his heart rate and the aching in his throat. It was an all too familiar sensation to dismiss it as a normal coughing spell. He knew the petals would be coming out any second and the last thing he wanted to do was cause a much bigger scene than the one he was probably about to make. As quickly as he could, Ichihoshi tore himself away from his seat, next to Nosaka, and more or less rushed to the locker room. There were several calls of his name from his teammates and even Nosaka himself, but Ichihoshi couldn’t stop, he couldn’t risk anyone finding out about this… this disease.

As soon as he made it into the locker room, he let out a cough. It was rough as it tore its way past his mouth. Ichihoshi made a dash to the closest restroom stall he could find, slammed the door shut, and released the onslaught of coughing and petals that had been building up in his chest. It hurt, the burning in his throat that came with the petals made his head spin and what was worse, was how this time around, it felt like the petals were bigger than the last ones. The first time he had coughed them up, they were barely even noticeable when they came out. This time, he could feel them moving up his throat and past his lips, and when he fell into the toilet below him, they were in fact much fuller than they had been before.

Tears prickled at the corner of the midfielder’s eyes when the coughing subsided and it was then when Ichihoshi finally took into account the knocking on the stall door hadn’t been the pounding of his heart in his ears. Not trusting his voice just yet, Ichihoshi knocked on the door, trying to convey that yes, he was okay, and was going to come out soon. Thankfully, his message was received and the knocking ceased. He took it as an opportunity to flush the petals down the toilet and only when it was all out of sight, did he move to open the door.

Standing outside was Michiba. At first, he appeared to be worried, if the way his eyes were creased and subtle wobbling of his lips had anything to say for it, but the longer he stared at Ichihoshi, the worse he began to look. The color in his face slowly drained while his eyes raked up and down the male before him.

Then suddenly, Michiba was pulling Ichihoshi into a tight hug. It caught the midfielder off guard for a moment, hands shaking in midair. Before he could return the hug, Michiba pulled away. He instead grabbed at Ichihoshi’s wrists to practically drag him out of the locker room and towards the nurse’s office. The two kept a mutual silence until they arrived in the vacant nurse’s office. And even then, Michiba did a quick sweep on the area, making sure nobody else was around before he across Ichihoshi with a stern look on his face.

“How long?”

“What?” The question caught Ichihoshi off guard.

“How long has this been going on?” Michiba asked again, eyes softening slightly. “And I don’t just mean the coughing… I know what’s going on. I was already in the locker room when you came in, so I saw the petals when you first started coughing. But don’t worry, I got rid of it.”

Oh. Okay, he was going to have to address this with someone other than the internet.

“It’s uh… It’s kind of weird…” Ichihoshi paused, voice turning lower, his gaze shifting towards his feet as they swayed back and forth. “It’s kind of started about a week or two ago? But it only happened once!” He brought a finger up to further prove his point, eyes shifting to look at Michiba. “Since it hadn’t happened since then I thought I’d be okay! I mean, I assumed since it only happened that one time it was just a fluke and nothing more- “

Michiba sighed, shaking his head. A sad smile danced on his lips when sky blue eyes met his own. “It doesn’t just start up without a reason, you know. It’s caused by unrequited love and if my observations are correct, it’s because you and Nosaka aren’t really dating, are you?”

Upon hearing Nosaka’s name, Ichihoshi’s heart started to drum quickly against his chest. Sky blue eyes widened at the way his throat suddenly felt like it was constricting on itself, surprisingly, it tickled more than it anything. Ichihoshi glanced a look at Michiba when the beat of his heart started to slow down. The defender looked as if he were in the middle of getting up from his seat but had froze halfway through the action. It distracted Ichihoshi enough to where his almost coughing fit turned into a fit of laughter instead.

Michiba blinked in confusion before sitting back down. There wasn’t anything funny about this situation and yet…

He laughed. He couldn’t help it, not when Ichihoshi was laughing right in front of him. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he tried to recall a saying he once heard about laughter being contagious, but he was too busy laughing himself to properly think.

Eventually, the two calmed down enough to the point where their laughter was almost nonexistent. Mostly, it was Ichihoshi who was still giggling here and there while Michiba waited for the midfielder to finish. It was peaceful, to say the least, and when Ichihoshi gathered himself enough to cease his laughter completely, he smiled at Michiba.

“So, you figured it out?”

“Yeah… Sorry, I hope I didn’t upset you though.” The defender scratched his nose while he looked away sheepishly.

Ichihoshi sighed, interlacing his fingers together. “It’s fine. I’m just glad someone else knows I guess- Does anyone else know?”

“I don’t think so, I mean, I kind of just pieced it together when I saw that first petal come out of your mouth.” Michiba shrugged. The way Ichihoshi seemed to fold in on himself at the comment had Michiba looking away. “If it makes you feel better, my second guess was that you were in denial of Nosaka’s feelings towards you? Like, you two were going out but you were so into him that you were doubting why he would want to be with you-“

Ichihoshi looked up at that, eyes glossing. Michiba stopped talking, slapping a hand over his mouth as realization dawned over his words. Suddenly, he was waving his hands frantically in front of him, words of apology spilling from his mouth faster than either of the two could fully process.

“It’s okay!” Ichihoshi finally cut in as he brushed a hand through his hair. “It’s okay. I get it and if I’m being honest… I think that may partly be the reason why this disease started up in the first place.” The midfielder sighed, leaning back until his back was pressed against the mattress of the nurse’s bed. “I’ve had a crush on Nosaka since middle school and even then, I knew someone like me would never stand a chance at being with someone as cool as him. But then, he basically declared that we were dating to a room full of students who may or may not have recorded him saying that- We still haven’t found the video, if there even is one, but yeah… I was so happy when he said that because I thought ‘Hey! Maybe I do have a chance with him after all.’ But when he said it was only going to be a temporary thing I guess I unconsciously started doubting him, if that makes sense?”

Ichihoshi paused, waiting for Michiba to answer but when the defender only hummed, signally him to continue, Ichihoshi sighed.

“I thought that if our relationship was only going to be temporary, then maybe I could try to make the most of it while it lasted. So, the day we made our fake relationship public I was happier than ever! That’s also when this disease started too… He was just way too kind and caring, he made me feel like this could be a real thing, but deep down I knew it never would since he only sees me as a teammate at best…” He trailed off, side-eyeing the tear that was currently rolling down his cheek.

There was a shuffling noise from Michiba had been sitting and Ichihoshi resisted the urge to look at the other. Instead, he wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, sighing rather loudly in the quiet room.

He lay on the bed for what felt like minutes before he finally decided to lean up. When he did he was surprised to find Michiba peaking at something behind the curtains that hung over the small window on the door. Ichihoshi pushed off the bed, moving to stand behind the defender in hopes of catching a glimpse of what the other was looking at. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing! I just thought I heard something is all. Nothing to see out there though!” Michiba gulped in response, shutting the curtain tightly.

“Right…”

Before Michiba could stop him, Ichihoshi grabbed at the door handle, opening it a fraction of the way right before it a hand pushed it closed once more.

“Hey! I thought you were supposed to be helping me right now!” Ichihoshi started, stepping out a bit in order to gain better footing as he pulled on the door. When Michiba all but threw his own weight on the door, Ichihoshi groaned in frustration.

“This isn’t helping you know!”

“Believe me, it is! At least for now- would you stop pushing me already! – Just, trust me! If you go out there, you’re just going to cough up more flowers again and if I can help prevent that from happening until you’ve got your feelings sorted out, then I’m going to do everything in my power to stop you!”

Ichihoshi froze. He all but fell to a crumbling heap on the floor. If he understood this correctly, that meant Nosaka was on the other side of the door right now. And if he was right, then how much of his words had Nosaka just heard?

He could practically feel the petals daring to claw their way of his lungs.

Michiba kneeled down with Ichihoshi, hands hovering at either side of the midfielder. He was talking, Ichihoshi could see the defender’s lips moving, but the words were dead to his ears. He blinked once, twice, three times, before he realized there were tears trailing down his cheeks, and then it happened. He was coughing up petals again.

This was just great! He had barely dodged coughing up flower petals moments ago and now here he was, coughing petals up all over the nurse’s floor with an audience, granted it was only Michiba there, but still. If he didn’t know any better, he would think the universe was trying to make his life miserable. Well, at least things couldn’t have gotten any worse.

Unfortunately, just as the thought crossed his mind, the door suddenly burst in. Standing in the doorway was Nosaka. The tactician’s eyes immediately falling upon the midfielders.

Ichihoshi reached a hand up to shield himself from Nosaka while his other hand tried in vain to hide the flower petals that were threatening to come out of his mouth with each passing cough. This was bad, he wasn’t ready to address this with Nosaka yet, or to be more precise, ever! He needed to get out of there, fast! His vision was blurring, but he could clearly see the image of Nosaka talking to Michiba- If he played his cards right, he might be able to run past them…

But, when he pushed himself up, he came crumbling down into Nosaka’s chest. Then, everything faded into black.

* * *

When Ichihoshi opened his eyes, he was first met with a pounding headache. He quickly curled in on himself, hands grasping at the sides of his head with a grip so hard, it caused him to groan. While he waited for the pounding in his head to die down he slowly opened his eyes to scan his surroundings.

Apparently, he was still in the nurse’s office, only this time, he was laying in one of the beds with some curtains encasing him at all sides. When he looked even closer, he came to realize just how dark the room had gotten, which could mean one of two things. One it was already nighttime, or two, someone had covered the windows really well just to trick him! But, who was he kidding, it had to be night? Nobody would willingly go out of their way to cover up the windows when they knew somebody was occupying the nurse’s room, right?

Somehow that got Ichihoshi to sit up in bed. Where were Nosaka and Michiba? Had they left him and gone back to the student dorms? And if so, had they left him any food or change of clothes?

When he looked down, Ichihoshi found himself to still be dressed in his soccer uniform, along with a jacket he hadn’t remembered wearing when he got there.

“Hello?” He called out, hands moving to grab at the curtains in front of him.

“Good, you’re awake. I’m so glad.” The voice had Ichihoshi pulling his hand back as if it had been burned by some unknown force.

“No- Nosaka?” Ichihoshi’s asked, voice shaking as he stared at the curtains with wide-eyed confusion. There was no way Nosaka was there, he couldn’t be, not after- Wait… Memories flashed through the midfielder’s mind quickly. That’s right, just as he was about to pass out, Nosaka had entered the room…

“I-I uh, I need to… to” Ichihoshi stuttered out, looking for a way to escape. If he stayed any longer, he’d start to cough up petals again and again and again until he would inevitably be taken into surgery or worse! He couldn’t go through that. He wouldn’t go through it, not if he had any say so. Yeah, his feelings had gotten him stuck in this position anyway, but he’d rather keep said feelings then risk having them taken away forever.

Sky blue eyes turned to look over his shoulder. The curtains behind him appeared to be shifting, if only slightly, which meant it was most likely the closest side to the door. The last time Ichihoshi had visited the nurse’s office was to get an ice pack for one of his fellow classmates. When he had entered the room, he had immediately walked under the air conditioning vent. And now that he was looking up, he could almost barely make out the vent from where he was sitting.

Okay, he could do this. All he needed to do was scoot back as quickly and quietly as he could, get past the curtains without disturbing the entirety of it, and get to the door as quickly as he could. From there he would just have to outmaneuver Nosaka until he found a good place to hide. An empty classroom on the opposite side of the school would do nicely. As long as he executed the first part of the plan, everything would be okay!

Ichihoshi’s so busy coming up with his plan that he doesn’t notice the moment the curtains in front of him parting. He also fails to take notice of the bed dipping until its too late. When he moves to face forward, heat rushes to his face in one quick wave. Nosaka is leaning in close. Their faces are a mere centimeters apart and all Ichihoshi can do is stare.

“Ichihoshi,” Nosaka whispers as if he’s scared that speaking any louder will drive the other away. “We need to talk, please.”

Ichihoshi tries to back away but a gentle hand on his wrist stops him.

“Please.” Nosaka tries again, slowly loosening his hold on Ichihoshi’s hand, thinking if he does it gradually, the midfielder won’t notice. To his surprise, Ichihoshi does notice and what follows next nearly makes Nosaka’s heart skip a beat.

Ichihoshi moves forward to where he’s resting his forehead against Nosaka’s. He thinks, how doing so, Nosaka may somehow better understand what he’s about to say. His lips are tremble as he takes in a few shaky breaths, trying to will the petals and coughs away just so he can have enough time speak without being interrupted, but finds it to be much more difficult than he had anticipated. He tries to speak several times but finds each attempt to either be an almost cough or a whimper of sorts.

Nosaka waits patiently. Even though his mind is screaming at him to speak up, to say everything was okay and that they didn’t need to have this conversation now, he kept quiet. This was something that needed to be addressed now. Ichihoshi was suffering and he had no one else to blame but himself. If they hadn’t agreed to enter into a temporary relationship, none of this would have happened, Nosaka was sure of it. If they had remained in a neutral friendship territory, then maybe Ichihoshi wouldn’t be in this state. They could’ve been watching T.V or going about their own business in their dorm room right now. But no, Nosaka just had to let his own feelings get in the way and propose a fake relationship onto Ichihoshi. He should’ve known better than to suggest such a thing in the first place. He should’ve properly asked Ichihoshi out sometime later in the future when he was certain of the midfielder’s feelings.

Something about that, however, sparked a little hope in the tactician. If what Michiba had told him about Ichihoshi’s condition were true, then maybe he had a chance of saving not only Ichihoshi but their relationship as well…

“Nosaka, I- “Ichihoshi tries but gets cut off by his own cough. A single petal comes to fall between the two. Sky blue eyes widen and Ichihoshi quickly reaches his hands up to grab onto Nosaka’s forearms. His eyes glass over as he tries again, “I really like you- And, I know you don’t feel the same, but,” he coughs again. This time the half side of a flower comes fluttering out of his mouth. Tears are pooling down the midfielder’s face when he speaks again. “I just- I… I wish I had told you about my feelings sooner.”

Ichihoshi shook as he let his tears take hold of him. He cried loud and hard, only stopping for brief moments in order to cough out a newly formed flower or two.

Nosaka had all but draped himself over Ichihoshi, holding him gently but firmly while the other let his feelings pour out. Nosaka remained quiet as he rubbed little shapes against the midfielders back, hoping by doing so it would calm the other down. And it did help, to some degree, for Ichihoshi seemed to relax into Nosaka’s hold after several moments. Gradually, Ichihoshi’s coughing became less frequent. It was kind of like a small signal for Nosaka.

If he wanted to end Ichihoshi’s suffering, he was going to have to confess his own feelings. He just had to hope Ichihoshi would believe him enough in order for the disease to end right then and there.

Taking a deep breath, Nosaka gave Ichihoshi a slight pat on the back before he began to pull away from the other. He made sure to keep a close distance between their faces, however. Their eyes met and for a moment, they forgot about the disease.

“Ichihoshi, I really like you too.”

Ichihoshi’s jaw drops as his eyes shakily search gray eyes for any signs of mockery. He searches and searches but finds nothing but warmth and genuine kindness. It makes him giggle. Nosaka was telling the truth. He liked Ichihoshi and Ichihoshi liked him. Their feelings were mutual. Well if that were the case…

Ichihoshi glanced away timidly, placing a hand on Nosaka’s shoulder to steady himself as he asked, “can you kiss me now so I know I’m not dreaming.”

Nosaka smiles, eyes softening as he cupped Ichihoshi’s face in his hands, leaning forward slowly until their lips meet in a soft kiss. Ichihoshi’s eyes flutter closed, welcoming the soft press of Nosaka’s lips against his own. He had always dreamed of kissing Nosaka and now it was finally happening. It was everything he had ever hope for as well. The kiss was soft and gentle, neither of the two pushing for anything more when they finally parted.

“I love you, Nosaka.”

As the words slip past his lips the familiar sensations of his pounding heart and burning throat take over. Only this time, they felt as if they were flowing out of his system with each breath he took. His chest felt as though a weight were being lifted from it, making it easier to breathe than it had been since he had started coughing up flower petals. His head no longer hurt nor left him feeling as if he needed to be on alert for any kind of danger for the only real danger he had been experiencing were the petals. And with the petals leaving his system, he no longer had anything to worry about.

He was free and Nosaka liked him.

He let out a wet giggle, surging forward to kiss Nosaka again.

Nosaka smiles, returning the kiss before he all but pulls away. Ichihoshi smiles none the less and watches him with curious eyes. Nosaka smirks before diving back in to shower Ichihoshi with little pecks here and there. A kiss to the nose, a kiss to the cheek, a kiss to anywhere he could contact make contact with it left Ichihoshi laughing and it was like music to Nosaka’s ears.

With a final kiss to his lips, Nosaka pulled back once more. His eyes sparkled with adoration for the midfielder as he spoke, “If it’s alright with you, how about we make our relationship real this time.”

Ichihoshi snickers before pulling Nosaka into a tight hug. “I thought you’d never ask.”

**Author's Note:**

> As you can probably tell by now, this was very self indulgent-  
> I just adore their shipping with all my heart. They're just so sweet and I honestly wish we could've seen them interact even more in the anime. But the amount of screen time they share is just fine with me anyway~   
> Again, thank you for reading this & I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day/night or whatever time it may be.


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